Dust
by Acteon Carolsfeld
Summary: Late night patrol. Deckerd stumbles into a wayward biker at a rest stop.


Disclaimer: Do not own canon bits.

Time-frame: After Gunmax's introduction, but before the handcuffs episodes. Sometime around there. It's been a long while since I'd initially written this. XD

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**Dust**

"_Yo, patrol car."_

Deckerd drove down the highway. He kept the exact speed limit, and sent a status report back to Brave Police central console every ten minutes.

"_You ask too many questions."_

He fought to stay focused on the road, to stop his thoughts from wandering back to the one event that's been bothering him for days.

"_Don't we have Super AI for that? Or perhaps you're different."_

He bit back a curse when he almost missed a turn, making a swerve that was borderline reckless considering the civilian vehicles around him.

"_Love you, baby~"_

That cocky voice, that flippant, curt wave of a hand…Deckerd swallowed down the inappropriate words he'd almost uttered. That wouldn't be proper, and a police officer shouldn't act out of conduct.

Another ten minutes and a status report later, Deckerd found himself starting to enjoy the solitude of patrolling the outskirts. The air was cool. The night has been trouble free thus far. Everything was quiet, so much so that he was even lenient enough to go over the speed limit, just by a little. An exit ramp was ahead, but the highway was open and welcoming. Deckerd was so keen on driving off the lingering frustration that he'd almost missed the figure leaning against the rest stop, visibly taller than the two-storied building.

Slamming down on the breaks, Deckerd screeched in a sharp U-turn. He promptly activated the light bar on his roof, and made sure the civilian vehicles coming up behind him had cleared the way before speeding for the exit ramp. Luckily, there weren't a lot of humans using this section of the highway at this hour. He would much rather not have to take the next exit and risk the chance of the figure escaping.

As tarmac changed to gravel, Deckerd slowed down, and thought of what to say. Dust turned up under his wheels, and tiny pebbles nicked at the rubber, pinpricks of pressure against his sensor-net. He knew the other mech was well aware of his arrival, especially now that he had his lights flashing. However, the bot didn't send him a single glance, tossing back a can of gas as he leaned against the side of the main rest stop building.

Deckerd nudged the accelerator as he rolled up a slight hill that smoothed into cement. The humans at the gas pumps glanced up as he drove past them, but the curiosity did not last long before they returned to their previous tasks. The car-former slowed further, and stopped just after the reach of the overhanging lights from the gas station. He parked right beside the other mech, who still hasn't moved a single cable toward the Brave detective, visor dark and pointed straight ahead.

It was difficult, determining what the optics behind them were actually looking at.

For a moment, Deckerd simply sat there, engine idle. Streetlamps cast portholes of light down the street, rising along the entrance ramp. Insects gathered under them, fluttering to the droning buzz. The wind rustled the trees, and when a truck drove up the ramp, clouds of dust flew sideways, pale puffs under the warmth-tinted light.

For a moment, the leader of the Braves honestly thought of waiting for an acknowledgement. However, he quickly found out of how futile that was. He sighed, and straightened on his wheels. He should initiate the conversation. After all, he was the one approaching the other mech.

"Gunmax." He greeted, voice amiable but not familiar. Then came the wait, though this time, he was confident. His company would not deny him a response, not after making the decision to stay. The biker has had plenty of time to drive away, yet here he was, leaning against the building with one ped crossed over the other.

Gunmax took another drink from the can, and tilted his head toward the car-former.

"Will you knock that off?" He grimaced, and made a great show of turning his face the other way. "I don't like mood lights with my booze." The words held an obvious jab, and Deckerd took it personally, tensing on his wheels.

"That's not booze." The Brave detective grumbled, but he did as asked, turning off his light bar. The silence that followed was so thick that several humans around the area peeked at them before hurrying away. They all went and found things to do that were conveniently away from the duo, leaving the bots with some resemblance of privacy.

Gunmax took a quick swig from his can, and swirled it in his mouth before swallowing. "…You talk to all bots in car form?" He drawled, not even bothering with a glance.

Deckerd did not reply. He backed away a few meters, and transformed into bipedal mode.

"I didn't know if I was welcomed." He explained after a moment. However, he did not apologize, even though he did feel a little sorry for being rude.

"What the hell are you doin' here, anyway?" The other mech ignored his reply, and kept his visor forward. "Thought you had patrol."

"I do," Deckerd answered, "but I stop if there is a disturbance that requires investigation."

Gunmax snorted a bark of laughter over the nozzle of the gas can. "Is that what I am now? A disturbance?" He grinned, one corner of his lips higher than the other, and turned toward Deckerd with a slight toss-back of his head. "Do I disturb you?" He purred, and the visor glinted for the first time that night, mocking mischief behind dark specs.

Deckerd didn't know how to answer, so he continued as though the other hadn't spoken at all.

"You are a part of Brave Police now. You can't keep coming and going as you please. You must notify at least one of us where you are." The car-former said, stiff and formal, "There are protocols to be followed."

The smirk lost its vigor. It slowly dropped. Gunmax made a terse huff, and yanked his head away with another swig of gas.

"Is that all you came here to say?" The biker raised his voice, and Deckerd did not need to see his expression to know that he wore a scowl.

No, the Brave detective thought, optics flickering downward.

That was not what he came here to say.

The rumbling of an engine intruded their silence. A truck drove into the gas station, brakes squeaking as it stopped in front of an available pump. The driver hopped out, hair tousled and wife-beater stained with sweat marks. He slapped the buttons for a fill-up, and waved at the other humans with a loud "hello" before grinding out his cigarette bud with the sole of his boot.

Deckerd frowned at the display, but to even his own surprise, he did not berate the human for violating safety rules.

Gunmax let out another snort-like laugh, but he did not say anything.

They watched the truck drive away.

Deckerd wondered how that human could be so sweaty on such a cool night.

"Well, if you're done scolding me, I'm gonna head off." The biker pushed off from the building, and tossed back the rest of his gas. "As interesting as this conversation was, I've got stuff to do." He hurled the empty can into the recycling bin, and sauntered off to his bike. "Have yourself a good night, patrol car." He waved as he climbed on, Gunbike's engine a roaring rev. "Don't miss me too much." The sound was loud, and it almost drowned out Deckerd's hesitant call, following a quiet hitch of intakes.

"—Gunmax, wait!"

Gunmax swung down a ped. The gesture was so sudden that it roused a cloud of dust.

He waited, frame arched over his bike, while Deckerd fretted, vocalizer stuttering and brow-ridges furrowed.

"I—I'm…" The car-former bit his lips, and let out a stream of air as he dipped his chin. "…I'm sorry."

Gunmax did not reply, but his head quirked, ever so slightly, in Deckerd's direction.

"…I-I shouldn't have—" The Brave detective glanced away, toward the line of streetlamps rising along the ramp. "…When we—…first met," His fingers clenched, "I shouldn't have shouted, or have gotten physical with you." The frown on Deckerd's faceplate deepened, and his optics became downcast. "It was unprofessional of me. I'm sorry."

At that, Gunmax turned. His shoulders shifted, and his profile was a crisp shadow against the glow of the streetlamps. His visor hid most of his face, so his expression was difficult to read. The biker could've been glaring for all Deckerd knew. However, there was no heated glimmer of anger, no hostile press of the lips to further that suspicion. The car-former simply stood still, and he waited, patiently, for a response.

At last, the expression changed. It was not quite a smile, but the tension bled away, obvious from the tilt of the biker's lips. Gunmax did not reply, only huffing out a laugh as he shook his head and turned around. Gunbike revved once more, and the green mech tugged the two-wheeler into a more upright position, pushing to take off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, baby."

A roar of acceleration, and the biker shot off. He sped up the ramp, and left behind only a streak of tail light. He disappeared around the bend, merging onto the highway. The sound of his departure lingered longer than he had, dust particles floating in the air, sifting down at leisure.

Deckerd stood beside the main building of the rest stop, gaze reluctant to leave the direction Gunmax had taken off in. With a small smile, he dipped his head, and felt a flicker of warmth tickling his super AI. With a flurry of changing parts, he reverted back into car-mode, and drove away at a much more reasonable speed. He rejoined highway traffic, what little there was, and send off another status report when the Brave Police central console pinged him for an update.

"District 3, section B-65: clear." The report read, "Memo: Confirmation of active duty from Officer Gunmax received."

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**Notes:** I love _Brave Police_. The first episode had been appearing on my recommended list on youtube for months before I'd decided to click it, and wow, I had no idea what I was missing! I spent all summer last year exciting over it, which resulted in this little thing, and a big thing that's only half-finished. Once the first draft of the big thing is done, I will start posting, but for now, hope you liked this little thing!

Review, please? : )


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